Episodes

How Companies Preserve Expertise While Preparing the Next Generation In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards speaks with Lisa Ryan, founder and Chief Appreciation Officer of Grategy to explore how companies can preserve critical knowledge as experienced employees retire and technology reshapes the workplace. As longtime employees approach retirement, some of an organization’s most valuable knowledge can walk out the door with them. Lisa encourages leaders to reframe knowledge transf...

How Courage, Optimism and Honest Feedback Drive Better Decisions In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards speaks with Kristen Ziman, former Chief of Police for Aurora, Illinois, about leading through uncertainty, challenging traditional leadership expectations and finding the courage to act. Kristen reflects on entering a profession where she was frequently underestimated and eventually becoming the first woman to lead her department. Rather than conforming to an established leaders...

The MHEDA Quarterly Economic Advisory Report, published by ITR Economics, provides an in-depth look into the latest economic data and forecasts specifically focused on the material handling industry. Topics discussed in this episode include 2027 economic outlook, K-shaped economy, Inflation and interest rates, Material handling industry outlook, the MHEDA markets dashboard and more.

How to Evolve a Business Without Losing What Made it Successful In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards speaks with Nate Andrews, President of Morse Manufacturing, about leadership, business continuity and guiding an established organization into its next chapter. Nate reflects on his path into the family business and the experiences that prepared him to lead. He shares why future leaders need opportunities to learn, make decisions and develop credibility throughout the organizatio...

Explore the Skills, Mindset, and Leadership Habits Every Emerging Leader Needs to Succeed In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards speaks with Brittany Neish, founder of What You Do Matters and host of MHEDA’s NextGen Virtual Series, about building stronger leadership skills through care, compassion and self-awareness. Brittany explains why leaders don’t need to have all the answers, explores common blind spots such as an “I” versus “we” mentality and discusses why high performers d...

Introducing the Quarterly Industry Sentiment Analysis In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards welcomes Tim Dawson, Chief Research Officer at Interact Analysis, to discuss MHEDA’s new partnership with Interact Analysis and the value of industry sentiment data. Tim shares how sentiment reports help capture the industry’s collective outlook by measuring trends in areas such as new orders, backlog, sales cycles, deal size, lead times, staffing, and employee retention. Unlike traditiona...

In the July 2026 Economic Advisory Report, MHEDA presents insights from ITR Economics specifically focused on the material handling industry. The MHEDA Quarterly Economic Report, published by ITR Economics, provides an in-depth look into the latest economic data and forecasts. This report is designed to equip MHEDA members with critical insights to help navigate market trends, understand economic cycles, and make informed business decisions. By accessing both current and archived issues, MHEDA m...

Influence, Trust, and the Social Skills That Will Define Tomorrow’s Leaders In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards sits down with leadership expert, workplace performance specialist, and Emerging Leaders Conference keynote speaker Henna Pryor to explore how professionals can stand out in an increasingly AI-driven world. Henna shares insights on influence, communication, adaptability, and why human-centered skills are becoming more important—not less—as technology advances. From na...

Building a Workplace People Want to Be Part Of In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards sits down with Meredith Shay, Owner & CEO of InCord, and Robin Ritz, Owner & VP of Sales and Marketing at InCord, to discuss what it takes to create a workplace culture employees genuinely want to be part of. Recognized as a top workplace year after year, InCord shares how intentional leadership, consistent communication, employee feedback, and personal growth initiatives have helped shape a cult...

What to Expect at MODEX 2026: Insights from MHI In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards sits down with Daniel McKinnon, Chief Exhibitions Officer at MHI, to explore what attendees can expect at MODEX 2026—one of the largest and most influential trade shows in the material handling industry. Daniel shares a behind-the-scenes look at this year’s event, highlighting new show floor features, expanded educational opportunities, and the continued growth of emerging technologies shaping t...

In the April 2026 Economic Advisory Report, MHEDA presents insights from ITR Economics specifically focused on the material handling industry. The MHEDA Quarterly Economic Report, published by ITR Economics, provides an in-depth look into the latest economic data and forecasts. This report is designed to equip MHEDA members with critical insights to help navigate market trends, understand economic cycles, and make informed business decisions. By accessing both current and archived issues, MHEDA ...

How Leaders Build Teams People Don’t Want to Leave In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Katie Richards sits down with Joe Mull, author, founder of Boss Hero School, and speaker at the 2026 MHEDA Convention, to explore what it truly takes to build a workplace where employees want to stay. Joe shares insights from his research and experience in leadership development, challenging common assumptions about retention and engagement. He discusses why the idea that “no one wants to work anymore” miss...

Consolidation, Competition, and Opportunity Industry consolidation continues to reshape the material handling landscape as private equity investment, acquisitions, and strategic mergers accelerate across the market. In this episode of Table Trends, CEO Lauren Reed joins MHEDA board members to discuss how consolidation is influencing competition, customer relationships, and long-term business strategy across the industry. The conversation explores how private equity and large-scale acquisitions...

AI as a Business Tool, Not a Buzzword As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, material handling companies are moving beyond curiosity and into practical application. In this episode of Table Trends, CEO Lauren Reed is joined by MHEDA board members to explore how AI is reshaping operations, decision-making, and customer experience across the industry. From contract reviews to service automation, the discussion highlights how companies are leveraging AI tools to improve efficiency while maint...

Workforce Dynamics and the Next Generation of Leadership As workforce expectations continue to evolve across the material handling industry, companies are navigating new challenges around engagement, accountability, and leadership development. This episode of Table Trends brings together CEO, Lauren Reed and MHEDA board members to discuss how shifting workforce dynamics are influencing the way organizations communicate, manage teams, and build the next generation of leaders. The conversation e...

In the January 2026 Economic Advisory Report, MHEDA presents insights from ITR Economics specifically focused on the material handling industry. The MHEDA Quarterly Economic Report, published by ITR Economics, provides an in-depth look into the latest economic data and forecasts. This report is designed to equip MHEDA members with critical insights to help navigate market trends, understand economic cycles, and make informed business decisions. By accessing both current and archived issues, MHED...

Experience, Execution, and the Future of Competition As the material handling industry looks toward 2026, competitive pressure is intensifying—particularly in the storage & handling and systems integrator space. New entrants, adjacent industries, and acquisition-driven expansion are reshaping the landscape, raising important questions about differentiation, execution, and long-term customer trust. In this episode of Table Trends, MHEDA leadership and board members unpack how competition is evol...

Raising the Bar on Customer Expectations As customer expectations continue to evolve across the material handling industry, speed, transparency, and partnership are becoming critical differentiators. In this episode of Table Trends, industry leaders discuss how dealers, integrators, and suppliers are adapting to these changes while maintaining healthy margins. The conversation explores the shift from transactional relationships to long-term partnerships, with customers increasingly looking to ...

Navigating Uncertainty and Opportunity As the material handling industry looks ahead to 2026, uncertainty around geopolitics, tariffs, and supply chain volatility continues to shape customer behavior and business strategy. This episode of Table Trends brings together MHEDA leadership and board members to discuss how these external forces are influencing pricing, purchasing decisions, and long-term planning across the industry. The conversation explores the importance of transparency with custo...

Building an Intentional Culture That Drives Performance Company culture doesn’t happen by accident — and when it’s done right, it can transform everything from employee engagement to business performance. In this episode, host Katie Richards sits down with Al Curnow, Vice President of CultureWise, to explore why culture matters, how leaders can shape it intentionally, and what consistent reinforcement looks like in practice. Drawing on real-world examples from MHEDA member companies, Al share...

In the October 2025 Economic Advisory Report, MHEDA presents insights from ITR Economics specifically focused on the material handling industry. The MHEDA Quarterly Economic Report, published by ITR Economics, provides an in-depth look into the latest economic data and forecasts. This report is designed to equip MHEDA members with critical insights to help navigate market trends, understand economic cycles, and make informed business decisions. By accessing both current and archived issues, MHED...

Leading with Passion and Purpose In this episode, Katie Richards sits down with Lauren Reed, MHEDA’s newly appointed CEO, to discuss her journey from cold calling in the material handling industry to leading the association into an exciting new chapter. Lauren shares how her early experiences at Concept and Storage Solutions shaped her leadership style, the mentors who encouraged her to “dream big,” and her vision for driving MHEDA’s growth through collaboration, innovation, and member engageme...

The Art of Negotiation In this episode of MHEDA Talks, host Shari Altergott, CEO of The CX Edge, sits down with Fotini Iconomopoulos, negotiation and communication expert, author, and keynote speaker, to discuss how to confidently navigate difficult conversations, from salary discussions to high-stakes boardroom meetings. Fotini, a featured speaker at MHEDA’s upcoming 2025 Women in Industry Conference, shares powerful, practical insights drawn from decades of experience training leaders around t...

Century Strong: Adams Inc’s Journey In this episode, Katie Richards chats with Tim Hager, President and Owner of Adams, Inc., headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. Adams, Inc. is celebrating an incredible milestone — 100 years in business — and Tim shares what it means to carry that legacy forward while preparing for the next century. From a team of six making a lasting impact, to celebrating a century of success, this conversation highlights the strength of values-driven leadership and the fut...